1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates methods for making transparent conductive elements, especially, a method for making a transparent conductive element based on carbon nanotubes.
2. Description of Related Art
Carbon nanotube (CNT) is a new material and prepared by Japanese researcher Iijima (Helical Microtubules of Graphitic Carbon, Nature, V354, P56˜58 (1991)). Carbon nanotube film attracts more attention because of excellent electric conductivity and light transmittance.
A method for making a carbon nanotube film is disclosed by Baughman in a paper (“Strong, Transparent, Multifunctional, Carbon Nanotube Sheets” Mei Zhang, Shaoli Fang, Anvar A. Zakhidov, Ray H. Baughman, etc. Science, Vol. 309, P1215-1219 (2005)). The carbon nanotube film is pulled out from a carbon nanotube array grown on a substrate. However, the light transmittance of the carbon nanotube film is relatively low and cannot meet the requirement of the electric device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,973,295, Jiang provides a method for making a transparent carbon nanotube film. The method includes the following steps: drawing a carbon nanotube film from a carbon nanotube array, the carbon nanotube film includes a plurality of carbon nanotubes in parallel with a surface of the carbon nanotube film; and irradiating the carbon nanotube film by a laser so that some of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are oxide and the carbon nanotube film becomes thinner. The carbon nanotube film can be used in transparent electrode, thin-film transistor, and touch panel. In use, the carbon nanotube film is located on a glass or a resin sheet. However, it is low efficient and high cost relatively by laser irradiating the carbon nanotube film.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a method for making a transparent conductive element with high efficient and low cost.